1963 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1963 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees (4–0); Sandy Koufax, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP

Other champions

• College World Series: USC
• Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nishitetsu Lions (4–3)
• Little League World Series: Granada Hills National, Granada Hills, California

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Elston Howard, New York Yankees, C (AL)
  • Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, P (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Rookie of the Year
  • Gary Peters, Chicago White Sox, P (AL)
  • Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds, 2B (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax

¹Major League Triple Crown Pitching Winner

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

January–April

• January 27 – Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick and John Clarkson are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.

• March 22 – The New York Mets, who finished last in the National League with a 40–120 record in their inaugural season, purchase pitcher Carlton Willey from the Milwaukee Braves. Willey will boost a pitching rotation that includes Roger Craig, Al Jackson and Tracy Stallard. The Mets will improve to 51–111 in 1963.

• April 11 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves becomes the all-time winningest left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history. His 6–1 victory over the New York Mets gives him 328 career wins, moving him ahead of Eddie Plank as the all-time winningest left-hander. Except for Duke Snider's home run, no Mets get past second base.

• April 13: After 11 hitless at bats, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Pete Rose records his first major league hit, a triple off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Friend. Increased enforcement of the balk rule produces a Major League record seven in the Pirates' 12–4 trouncing of the Reds at Crosley Field. Friend commits four of the balks.

May–August

• May 11 – At Dodger Stadium, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hits the San Francisco Giants 8–0, his second no-hitter in as many seasons. The final out is made by Harvey Kuenn on a ground ball back to none other than Koufax. Kuenn will also make the final out of Koufax's perfect game two years later.

• May 17 – Houston Colt .45's pitcher Don Nottebart throws the first no-hitter in franchise history, leading his team past the Philadelphia Phillies, 4–1.

• June 2 – At Busch Stadium, Willie Mays hits three home runs off pitchers Ernie Broglio, Bob Humphreys and Bobby Shantz, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6–4.

• June 9 – Ernie Banks hits three home runs.

• June 10 – Al Kaline hit his 200th career home run helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 6–1.

• June 11 – Bob Aspromonte clouts a walk-off grand slam in the tenth inning off pitcher Lindy McDaniel to give the Houston Colt .45s a 6–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium.

• June 14 – The New York Mets' Duke Snider hits his 400th career home run off Bob Purkey in the first inning of the Mets' 10–3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field.^[1]

• June 15 – At Candlestick Park, Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants no-hits the Houston Colt .45's 1–0. The no-hitter is the first by a Giant since the franchise's move from New York City after the 1957 season.

• July 9 – At Municipal Stadium, the National League wins 5–3 over the American League in the All-Star Game. After four years, MLB had decided to return to the original single-game format. The American League out-hit the National League 11–6, but the effort went in vain as MVP Willie Mays put on a one-man show. Although he was held to a single, Mays collected two runs, two RBI, two stolen bases and made the defensive play of the game — a running catch that deprived Joe Pepitone of an extra base in the eighth inning. This game also marked the 24th and final All-Star appearance of Stan Musial, who pinch-hit in the fifth inning. He lined out to right field, leaving behind a .317 batting average (20-for-63) and an All-Star Game record of six home runs.

• July 13 – Early Wynn of the Cleveland Indians earns his 300th career win.

• July 31 – A crowd of 7,288 at Cleveland Stadium watched Cleveland Indians infielder Woodie Held, pitcher Pedro Ramos, outfielder Tito Francona, and shortstop Larry Brown slug four straight solo home runs off Los Angeles Angels right-hander Paul Foytack in the bottom of the sixth inning. The four homers built the Indians' lead to 9–1.

• August 9 – Jim Hickman of the New York Mets becomes the second player to hit a walk-off grand slam against Chicago Cubs pitcher Lindy McDaniel this season, in a 7–3 victory at Polo Grounds. Bob Aspromonte of the Houston Colt .45s did that on June 11. McDaniel is the second pitcher in major-league history to surrender two game-ending grand slams in one season, joining Satchel Paige, who did that in 1952. Other pitchers will join Paige and McDaniel in the coming years: Lee Smith, in 1995, and Francisco Rodríguez in 2009.

• August 27 – Willie Mays hits 400th career home run helping San Francisco Giants beat St. Louis Cardinals 7–2.

September–December

• September 5 – Willie McCovey hits 100th career home run.

• September 10 – The Alous become the first brother trio to bat consecutively in one game, the eighth inning of the San Francisco Giants' 4–2 loss to the New York Mets at the Polo Grounds. Jesús pinch-hits in his Major League debut and grounds out to shortstop Al Moran; Matty, also pinch-hitting, strikes out, and Felipe ends the inning by grounding out to pitcher Carl Willey, who goes the distance for the victory.

• September 18 – In the final regular-season game ever played at the Polo Grounds, the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the New York Mets 6–1. New York gets its only run on Jim Hickman's 4th-inning home run, the last home run to be hit at the park.

• September 22 – Willie McCovey hits 3 home runs helping San Francisco Giants beat New York Mets 13–4.

• September 27 – Manager Harry Craft of the Houston Colt 45s fields the "Baby Colts," a starting line-up with an average age of nineteen years old, against the New York Mets at Colt Stadium. The oldest player used by Houston all game was 26 year old Dick Drott, who pitched the ninth inning.^[2]

• October 6 – At Dodger Stadium, Sandy Koufax defeats the New York Yankees, 2–1, completing a shocking World Series sweep for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Whitey Ford gives up only two hits, both by Frank Howard, who belts a long home run in the fifth inning to start the Dodgers' scoring. In the Series, the Yankees bat just .171 and score only four runs, the second-lowest total in World Series history. Curiously enough, the Dodgers would set the mark for the least runs scored in a World Series only three years later, falling victim to a decisive sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.

• October 12 – In the first (and last) Hispanic American major league All-Star Game, the National League team beats the American League 5–2 at the Polo Grounds. The game features such names as Felipe Alou, Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Julián Javier, Minnie Miñoso, Tony Oliva and Zoilo Versalles. Vic Power receives a pregame award as the number one Latin player. NL starter Juan Marichal strikes out six in four innings, though reliever Al McBean is the winning pitcher. Pinch hitter Manny Mota drives in two runs against loser Pedro Ramos. This was the last baseball game played at the Polo Grounds, as the New York Mets would move into the brand new Shea Stadium in 1964.

• November 26 – Second baseman Pete Rose is a landslide winner of National League Rookie of the Year honors, taking 17 of 20 first place votes, with the others going to Ron Hunt (2) and Ray Culp (1). Rose becomes the second Cincinnati Reds player to win the award, joining Frank Robinson.

• November 27:
  • Chicago White Sox pitcher Gary Peters, who posted a 19–8 record with 189 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA, edges teammate third baseman Pete Ward (.295 BA, 22 HR, 84 RBI) and Minnesota Twins outfielder Jimmie Hall (.260, 33, 80) for American League Rookie of the Year honors. Peters takes 10 of 20 first-place votes, Ward six and Hall four.
  • In a first basemen transaction, the Kansas City Athletics acquire Jim Gentile and $25,000 from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Norm Siebern.

• December 2:
  • The MLB Rules Committee bans oversized catcher's mitts, effective in 1965.
  • The Indianapolis and Little Rock franchises are transferred from the International League to the Pacific Coast League. The IL is reduced to eight clubs and the PCL membership raised to 12 clubs.

Births

January–March

• January 2 – David Cone
• January 2 – Edgar Martínez
• January 4 – Daryl Boston
• January 4 – Trey Hillman
• January 5 – Jeff Fassero
• January 6 – Norm Charlton
• January 7 – Craig Shipley
• January 20 – Cecil Espy
• January 22 – Jeff Treadway
• February 10 – Lenny Dykstra
• February 11 – Todd Benzinger
• February 14 – John Marzano
• February 15 – Barry Jones
• February 22 – Don Wakamatsu
• February 23 – Bobby Bonilla
• February 25 – Paul O'Neill
• March 1 – Tony Castillo
• March 1 – Rich Rodriguez
• March 9 – Terry Mulholland
• March 10 – John Cangelosi
• March 13 – Mariano Duncan
• March 14 – Mike Rochford
• March 20 – Dana Williams
• March 21 – Shawon Dunston
• March 22 – Rich Monteleone
• March 26 – Luis Medina

April–June

• April 3 – Chris Bosio
• April 9 – Mike Brumley
• April 9 – José Guzmán
• April 10 – Mike Devereaux
• April 10 – Marvin Freeman
• April 10 – Jeff Gray
• April 13 – Mark Leiter
• April 21 – Ken Caminiti
• May 14 – Pat Borders
• May 20 – David Wells
• May 27 – Edwin Núñez
• June 2 – Bryan Harvey
• June 25 – Mike Stanley

July–September

• July 3 – Don August
• July 4 – José Oquendo
• July 6 – Lance Johnson
• July 14 – John Dopson
• July 17 – Bobby Thigpen
• July 18 – Mike Greenwell
• July 19 – Mark Carreon
• July 31 – Scott Bankhead
• August 8 – Ron Karkovice
• August 13 – Jeff Ballard
• August 20 – Kal Daniels
• September 3 – Eric Plunk
• September 5 – Jeff Brantley
• September 10 – Randy Johnson
• September 21 – Cecil Fielder
• September 25 – Eric Hetzel
• September 28 – Charlie Kerfeld

October–December

• October 1 – Mark McGwire
• October 4 – Bruce Ruffin
• October 9 – Félix Fermín
• October 12 – Luis Polonia
• October 27 – Bip Roberts
• October 31 – Fred McGriff
• October 31 – Matt Nokes
• November 2 – Sam Horn
• November 8 – Dwight Smith
• November 10 – Andrés Thomas
• November 11 – Rey Quiñones
• November 18 – Dante Bichette
• November 23 – Dale Sveum
• November 28 – Walt Weiss
• December 1 – Greg W. Harris
• December 3 – Damon Berryhill
• December 5 – Sam Khalifa
• December 7 – Shane Mack
• December 10 – Doug Henry
• December 27 – Jim Leyritz
• December 28 – Mel Stottlemyre, Jr.

Deaths

January–March

• January 2 – Al Mamaux, 68, pitcher who twice won 20 games for Pittsburgh
• January 5 – Rogers Hornsby, 66, Hall of Fame second baseman who posted the highest lifetime batting average (.358) of any right-handed batter, 7-time batting champion including a .424 mark in 1924; twice MVP, and the first NL player to hit 300 home runs
• January 29 – Lee Meadows, 68, pitcher won 188 games for the Cardinals, Phillies and Pirates, was first modern major leaguer to wear glasses
• January 31 – Ossie Vitt, 73, third baseman for the Tigers and Red Sox, later a minor league manager
• February 9 – Ray Starr, 56, All-Star pitcher who pitched for six teams and won 138 games
• February 15 – Bump Hadley, 58, pitcher who ended Mickey Cochrane's career with a 1937 pitch that fractured his skull; later a broadcaster
• February 20 – Bill Hinchman, 79, outfielder twice batted .300 for Pittsburgh, later a scout
• February 28 – Eppa Rixey, 71, pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame just one month earlier, until 1959 was winningest left-hander in NL history with 266 victories for Phillies and Reds
• March 1 – Irish Meusel, 69, left fielder batted .310 lifetime, led NL in RBI in 1923
• March 11 – Joe Judge, 68, first baseman batted .300 nine times for Senators, later coach at Georgetown for 20 years
• March 29 – Wilcy Moore, 65, relief pitcher who won last game of 1927 World Series for Yankees

April–June

• April 23 – Harry Harper, 67, pitched from 1913 through 1923 for the Senators, Red Sox, Yankees and Robins
• May 4 – Dickie Kerr, 69, pitcher who as a 1919 rookie won two World Series games for the White Sox, as one of the players not involved in fixing the Series; later helping a struggling pitcher-turned-hitter, Stan Musial
• May 22 – Dave Shean, 79, second baseman and captain of champion 1918 Red Sox
• May 23 – Gavvy Cravath, 82, right fielder who won six home runs titles with Phillies
• May 27 – Dave Jolly, 38, knuckleball relief pitcher for Milwaukee Braves from 1953–1957
• June 6 – Charlie Mullen, 74, first baseman for White Sox and Yankees in 1910s
• June 8 – Earl Smith, 66, catcher for five NL champions, batted .350 in 1925 World Series
• June 18 – Ben Geraghty, 50, manager of the Jacksonville Suns of the International League and legendary minor league pilot who played a key role in the early career of Henry Aaron
• June 24 – George Trautman, 73, president of the minor leagues since 1946
• June 24 – Jud Wilson, 69, All-Star third baseman of the Negro Leagues
• June 28 – Frank "Home Run" Baker, 77, Hall of Fame third baseman, lifetime .307 hitter and 4-time home run champion, last surviving member of Philadelphia Athletics' "$100,000 infield"

July–September

• July 27 – Hooks Dauss, 73, pitcher won 222 games, all for Detroit
• August 15 – Karl Drews, 43, pitcher for four teams including 1947 champion Yankees
• August 24 – Ren Kelly, 63, pitched one game for the Philadelphia A's in 1923.
• September 4 – Home Run Johnson, 88, early shortstop of the Negro Leagues
• September 8 – Bill Knickerbocker, 51, infielder for five different teams from 1933–42, and a member of two Yankees champion teams as a backup for 2B Joe Gordon and 3B Frankie Crosetti
• September 19 – Slim Harriss, 66, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox in the early 1920s
• September 27 – Andy Coakley, 80, pitcher won 18 games for 1905 Athletics, later coach at Columbia for 37 years

October–December

• October 2 – Cy Perkins, 67, catcher for 16 seasons, most with Athletics, later a coach for many years
• November 6 – Clarence Mitchell, 72, spitball pitcher won 125 games, hit into unassisted triple play in 1920 World Series
• November 12 – Ed Connolly, 54, catcher for the Boston Red Sox between 1929 and 1932
• November 13 – Muddy Ruel, 67, catcher for 19 seasons including 1924 champions Senators, later a coach
• November 14 – Oscar Melillo, 64, second baseman for Browns and Red Sox
• December 8 – Red Worthington, 57, left fielder for Boston Braves from 1931–1934
• December 30 – Wilbur Good, 78, outfielder for six teams, primarily the Cubs

References